The accession criteria are incwuded in de Copenhagen criteria, agreed in 1993, and de Treaty of Maastricht (Articwe 49). Articwe 49 of de Maastricht Treaty (as amended) says dat any "European state" dat respects de "principwes of wiberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamentaw freedoms, and de ruwe of waw", may appwy to join de EU. Wheder a country is European or not is subject to powiticaw assessment by de EU institutions.[7]

Turkey has a wong-standing appwication wif de EU, but deir accession negotiations have stawwed since 2016.[12] This is due to de powiticaw issues surrounding de accession of de country.[13] As for de Western Bawkan states, de EU had pwedged to incwude dem after deir civiw wars: in fact, two states have entered (Swovenia in 2004 and Croatia in 2013), four are candidates, and de remaining two have pre-accession agreements.[14]

There are, however, oder states in Europe which eider seek membership or couwd potentiawwy appwy if deir present foreign powicy changes, or de EU gives a signaw dat dey might now be incwuded on de enwargement agenda. However, dese are not formawwy part of de current agenda, which is awready dewayed due to biwateraw disputes in de Bawkans and difficuwty in fuwwy impwementing de acqwis communautaire (de accepted body of EU waw).

In 2005, de European Commission suggested in a strategy paper dat de present enwargement agenda couwd potentiawwy bwock de possibiwity of a future accession of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bewarus, Georgia, Mowdova, and Ukraine.[15]Owwi Rehn has said on occasion dat de EU shouwd "avoid overstretching our capacity, and instead consowidate our enwargement agenda," adding, "dis is awready a chawwenging agenda for our accession process."[16]

It was previouswy de norm for enwargements to see muwtipwe entrants join de Union at once. The onwy previous enwargements of a singwe state were de 1981 admission of Greece and de 2013 admission of Croatia.

However, de EU members have warned dat, fowwowing de significant impact of de fiff enwargement in 2004, a more individuaw approach wiww be adopted in de future, awdough de entry of pairs or smaww groups of countries wiww most probabwy coincide.[17]

The 2003 European Counciw summit in Thessawoniki set integration of de Western Bawkans as a priority of EU expansion, uh-hah-hah-hah. This commitment was made in order to stabiwise de region in de wake of de Yugoswav Wars, a series of civiw wars drough de 1990s dat wed to de breakup of Yugoswavia.

Turkey's candidacy to join de EU has been a matter of major significance and considerabwe controversy since it was granted in 1999. Turkey has had historicawwy cwose ties wif de EU, having an association agreement since 1964,[19] being in a customs union wif de EU since 1995 and initiawwy appwying to join in 1987. Onwy after a summit in Brussews on 17 December 2004 (fowwowing de major 2004 enwargement), de European Counciw announced dat membership negotiations wif Turkey were officiawwy opened on 3 October 2005.

Turkey's rewations wif de EU have seriouswy deteriorated in de aftermaf of de 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt and subseqwent purges.[26][27] On 24 November 2016 de European Parwiament approved a non-binding resowution cawwing for de "temporary freeze of de ongoing accession negotiations wif Turkey" over human rights and ruwe of waw concerns.[28][29][30] On 13 December, de European Counciw (comprising de heads of state or government of de member states) resowved dat it wouwd open no new areas in Turkey's membership tawks in de "prevaiwing circumstances",[31] as Turkey's paf toward autocratic ruwe made progress on EU accession impossibwe.[32] As of 2017, and especiawwy fowwowing Erdoğan's victory in de constitutionaw referendum, Turkish accession tawks are effectivewy at a standstiww.[6][33][34]

^Montenegro started negotiations in November 2005 whiwe a part of Serbia and Montenegro. Separate technicaw negotiations were conducted regarding issues of sub-state organizationaw competency. A mandate for direct negotiations wif Montenegro was estabwished in Juwy 2006. Direct negotiations were initiated on 26 September 2006 and concwuded on 1 December 2006.[52]

The Maastricht Treaty (Articwe 49) states dat any European country (as defined by a European Counciw assessment) dat is committed to democracy may appwy for membership in de European Union, uh-hah-hah-hah.[72] In addition to European states, oder countries have awso been specuwated or proposed as future members of de EU.

States in western Europe who have chosen, for various reasons, not to become fuww members of de EU have integrated wif it to different extents according to deir circumstances. Icewand, Norway and Liechtenstein participate directwy in de singwe market via de European Economic Area, Switzerwand does so via biwateraw treaties and de oder European microstates (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City) have specific agreements wif de EU and neighbouring countries, incwuding deir use of de euro as deir currency. Most of dese countries are awso part of de Schengen Area. Whiwe dis integration is designed as a substitute for fuww membership, dere are ongoing debates in a number of dese countries as to wheder dey shouwd join as fuww members. Three (Norway, Icewand and Switzerwand) have aww previouswy had wive appwications to join de EU which have been widdrawn or oderwise frozen, uh-hah-hah-hah. Such appwications couwd be resubmitted in de event of a change in de powiticaw wandscape.

Georgia, Mowdova and Ukraine ratified an Association Agreement wif de EU and de European Parwiament passed a resowution in 2014 stating dat "in accordance wif Articwe 49 of de Treaty on European Union, Georgia, Mowdova and Ukraine, as weww as any oder European country, have a European perspective and can appwy for EU membership in compwiance wif de principwes of democracy, respect for fundamentaw freedoms and human rights, minority rights and ensuring de ruwe of rights."[73][11][73] They awso entered de Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area wif de EU, dat creates "framework for modernising [...] trade rewations and for economic devewopment by de opening of markets via de progressive removaw of customs tariffs and qwotas, and by an extensive harmonisation of waws, norms and reguwations in various trade-rewated sectors, creating de conditions for awigning key sectors" of deir economies wif EU standards.[74]

Internaw enwargement is de process of new member states arising from de break-up of or secession from an existing member state.[112][113][114] There have been and are a number of active separatist movements widin member states (for exampwe in Catawonia and Fwanders) but dere are no cwear agreements, treaties or precedents covering de scenario of an existing EU member state breaking into two or more states, bof of which wish to remain EU member states. The qwestion is wheder one state is a successor and one a new appwicant or, awternativewy, bof are new states which must be admitted to de EU.[115][116]

In some cases, a region desires to weave its state and de EU, namewy dose regions wishing to join Switzerwand. But most, namewy de two movements who have had referendums widin de 2010s, Scotwand and Catawonia, see deir future as independent states widin de EU. This resuwts in great interest on wheder, once independent, dey wouwd retain EU membership or conversewy wheder dey wouwd have to re-appwy. In de water case, since new members must be approved unanimouswy, any oder state which has an interest in bwocking deir membership to deter simiwar independence movements couwd do so.[117][118] Additionawwy, it is uncwear wheder de successor state wouwd retain any opt-outs dat de parent state was entitwed to.

Opinions on membership

European Commission

Jean-Cwaude Juncker, President of de European Commission: “If dere were to be a ‘yes’ vote in favour of Catawan independence, den we wiww respect dat opinion, uh-hah-hah-hah. But Catawonia wiww not be abwe to be an EU member state on de day after such a vote.”[119] This was repeated in October in an officiaw press rewease: "We [...] reiterate de wegaw position hewd by dis Commission as weww as by its predecessors. If a referendum were to be organised in wine wif de Spanish Constitution it wouwd mean dat de territory weaving wouwd find itsewf outside of de European Union, uh-hah-hah-hah."[120]

Jose Manuew Barroso, President of de European Commission (2004-2014), stated in 2012 in de context of de 2014 referendum for independence in Scotwand, dat any new independent country wouwd have to appwy for membership and negotiate its terms, but dat de rest of de originaw country wouwd not have to re-negotiate its position and wouwd continue its membership.[121][122] In 2014 he said dat it wouwd have been 'very difficuwt' for an independent Scotwand to join de EU, 'if not impossibwe', because of de difficuwty of getting de approvaw of aww member states, particuwarwy Spain, which fears a possibwe secession of Catawonia and has bwocked Kosovo's accession to de EU.[123]

Joaqwin Awmunia (former Spanish EU Commissioner) in 2013 cwaimed dat Catawonia wouwd have to appwy for EU membership in de event of secession from Spain, uh-hah-hah-hah.[124]

Government of Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, said in November 2013 dat an independent Scotwand's entry to de EU wouwd reqwire de consent of aww existing members and dat an independent Scotwand or oder regions gaining independence, taken as a reference to Catawonia, wouwd end up outside of de EU.[125][126]

Spanish Foreign Minister José Garcia-Margawwo, having said in February 2012 dat Spain wouwd not veto Scottish accession to de EU, provided Scottish independence had UK agreement (dus making it different from Catawan independence),[127]

Government of de United Kingdom

The UK Government's wegaw advice on de issue was dat 'Since de [remainder of de UK] wouwd be de same state as de UK, its EU membership wouwd continue',[128] whiwe specuwating dat 'On de face of it, Scotwand wouwd be reqwired to accede to de EU as a new state, which wouwd reqwire negotiations on de terms of its membership ...', but dat 'Scotwand's position widin de EU is wikewy to be shaped more by any agreements between de parties dan by pre-existing principwes of EU waw.'[129] Widout any formaw process for handwing de breakup of any member state, de European Commission offered, if reqwested by a member state, to provide an officiaw view on de EU's position on Scottish EU membership in de event of its independence from de UK. The Scottish Government reqwested dat UK Prime Minister David Cameron pwace dis reqwest, but such a reqwest was not made.[130]

Government of Scotwand

Deputy First Minister for Scotwand, de SNP's Nicowa Sturgeon, said dat de SNP Cabinet did not agree an independent Scotwand wouwd have to reappwy for EU membership.[121]

Referendum campaigns

Yes Scotwand: The "Yes" campaign, wed by Bwair Jenkins, argued dat Scotwand wouwd continue as a member state fowwowing a Yes vote as Scotwand wouwd remain compwiant wif aww EU Principwes as outwined in TEU Articwe 2 and dere are no provisions to excwude a state in de existing EU agreements.[131] During de period between a Yes vote and formaw independence, de Scottish Government couwd engage in negotiations, from widin de EU, on de terms of deir continuing membership in de EU. Severaw EU heads of state expressed deir opinion dat dis position was reasonabwe, as did James Crawford, co-audor of de UK government's wegaw advice on de issue.[132] In an interview on BBC Radio, asked if de timescawe of 18 monds for EU and oder treaty organisation was possibwe, Crawford repwied dat he fewt de timescawe was reasonabwe.[133] However, dere was no officiaw comment on dis view from de EU Commission, uh-hah-hah-hah. The Scottish SNP Government and de Yes Campaign bof decwared dat continuation of membership in de EU is deir preference.

Better Togeder: The "No" campaign, wed by Awistair Darwing, argued dat any vote for independence wouwd have automaticawwy pwaced Scotwand out of de EU as a new state, and Scotwand wouwd have had to renegotiate entry.[134]

On 1 October 2017, de Catawan government hewd a referendum on independence, which had been decwared iwwegaw by Spanish government, wif potentiaw powwing stations being cordoned off by riot powice. The subseqwent events constituted a powiticaw crisis for Catawonia. The EU's position is to keep distance from de crisis whiwe supporting Spain's territoriaw integrity and constitution, uh-hah-hah-hah.[135][136] Whiwe de debate around Scotwand's referendum may inform de Catawan crisis, Catawonia is in a distinct situation from Scotwand whereby de centraw government does not recognise de wegitimacy of any independence decwaration from Catawonia. If Spain does not recognise de independence of a Catawan state, bof Catawonia cannot separatewy join de EU and it is stiww recognised as part of Spain's EU membership.

There is an active movement towards Fwemish independence, or union wif de Nederwands, wif de future status of Wawwonia and Brussews (de de facto capitaw of de EU) uncwear as viabwe powiticaw states, perhaps producing a uniqwe situation from Scotwand and Catawonia. There are various proposaws for what shouwd happen to de city, ranging from staying part of de Bewgian rump state, to joining de hypodeticaw Fwemish state, to becoming a separate powiticaw entity.[137][138]

There are muwtipwe Speciaw member state territories, some of dem are not fuwwy covered by de EU treaties and appwy EU waw onwy partiawwy, if at aww. It is possibwe for a dependency to change its status regarding de EU or some particuwar treaty or waw provision, uh-hah-hah-hah. The territory may change its status from participation to weaving or from being outside to joining.

The onwy country wif de status of British Overseas Territory dat is part of de EU is Gibrawtar, which joined de EEC togeder wif de United Kingdom in 1973. The oder overseas territories are defined as Overseas Countries and Territories of de EU. Aww of dem are associated wif de EU (meaning dey appwy some parts of EU waw) and deir nationaws are in principwe EU citizens.[143]

Crown Dependencies

Speciaw terms were negotiated for de Channew Iswands and de Iswe of Man on de UK's accession to de European Economic Community. These are contained in Protocow 3 to de Treaty of Accession 1973. The effect of de protocow is dat de Channew Iswands and de Iswe of Man are widin de Common Customs Area and de Common Externaw Tariff (i.e. dey enjoy access to European Union countries of physicaw exports widout tariff barriers). Oder Community ruwes do not appwy to de Iswands.

The Faroe Iswands, a sewf-governing nation widin de Kingdom of Denmark, are not part of de EU, as expwicitwy asserted by bof Rome treaties.[144] The rewations wif de EU are governed by a Fisheries Agreement (1977) and a Free Trade Agreement (1991, revised 1998). The main reason for remaining outside de EU is disagreements about de Common Fisheries Powicy,[145] which disfavours countries wif warge fish resources. Awso, every member has to pay for de Common Agricuwturaw Powicy, which favours countries having much agricuwture which de Faroe Iswands does not. When Icewand was in membership negotiations around 2010, dere was a hope of better conditions for fish-rich countries, but dis came to noding. The Common Fisheries Powicy was introduced in 1970 for de very reason of getting access for de first EC members into waters of candidate countries, UK, Irewand and Denmark wif de Faroe Iswands.

Neverdewess, dere are powiticians, mainwy in de right-wing Union Party (Sambandsfwokkurin), wed by deir chairman Kaj Leo Johannesen, who wouwd wike to see de Faroes as a member of de EU. However, de chairman of de weft-wing Repubwic (Tjóðvewdi), Høgni Hoydaw, has expressed concerns dat if de Faroes were to join de EU as is, dey might vanish inside de EU, comparing dis wif de situation of de Shetwand Iswands and Åwand today, and wants de wocaw government to sowve de powiticaw situation between de Faroes and Denmark first.[146]

Greenwand, a sewf-governing community dat is part of de Kingdom of Denmark, entered de EC wif Denmark in 1973, because it had no wocaw independence at dat time. After de estabwishment of Greenwand's home ruwe in 1979 (effective from 1980), it hewd a second referendum on membership. The resuwt was (mainwy because of de Common Fisheries Powicy) to weave, so on 1 February 1985, Greenwand weft de EEC and EURATOM. Its status was changed to dat of an Overseas Country.[143] Danish nationaws residing in Greenwand (i.e. aww native popuwation) are nonedewess fuwwy European citizens; dey are not, however, entitwed to vote in European ewections.

There has been some specuwation as to wheder Greenwand may consider rejoining de European Union, uh-hah-hah-hah. On 4 January 2007 de Danish daiwy Jywwands-Posten qwoted de former Danish minister for Greenwand, Tom Høyem, as saying "I wouwd not be surprised if Greenwand again becomes a member of de EU... The EU needs de Arctic window and Greenwand cannot awone manage de gigantic Arctic possibiwities".[147] Greenwand has a wot of naturaw resources, and Greenwand has, especiawwy during de 2000s commodities boom, contracted private companies to expwoit some of dem, but de cost is considered too high, as Greenwand is remote and severewy wacks infrastructure. After 2013 prices have decwined so such efforts have stawwed.

The Brexit debate has reignited tawk about de EU in Greenwand, and dere have been cawws for de iswand to rejoin de Union, uh-hah-hah-hah.[148]

When Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba were estabwished as Dutch pubwic bodies after de dissowution of de Nederwands Antiwwes (which was an OCT) in 2010, deir status widin de EU were raised. Rader dan change deir status from an OCT to an outermost region, as deir change in status widin de Nederwands wouwd impwy, it was decided dat deir status wouwd remain de same for at weast five years. After dose five years, deir status wouwd be reviewed.

New Cawedonia is an overseas territory of France wif its own uniqwe status under de French Constitution, which is distinct from dat of overseas departments and cowwectivities. It is defined as an "overseas country" under de 1998 Nouméa Accord, and enjoys a high degree of sewf-government.[150] Currentwy, in regard to de EU, it is one of de Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT).

As a resuwt of de Nouméa Accord, New Cawedonians voted on an independence referendum scheduwed for November 2018. This referendum determined wheder de territory wouwd remain a part of de French Repubwic as a "sui generis cowwectivity", or wheder it wouwd become an independent state. The accords awso specify a graduaw devowution of powers to de wocaw New Cawedonian assembwy. The referendum's resuwt was dat New Cawedonia wouwd remain a part of de French Repubwic.

^Members of de European Parwiament (19 May 1998). "Legaw qwestions of enwargement". Enwargement of de European Union. The European Parwiament. Archived from de originaw on 21 March 2006. Retrieved 9 Juwy 2008.CS1 maint: Uses audors parameter (wink)

^Matdew Howehouse, Powiticaw Correspondent (16 February 2014). "Jose Manuew Barroso: nearwy impossibwe for Scotwand to join EU". Sunday Tewegraph, London. Retrieved 4 September 2014. Spain, which fears de separation of de Catawonia region, has bwocked de accession of Kosovo ... Jose Manuew Barroso, de president of de European Commission ... went on: 'It wiww be extremewy difficuwt to get de approvaw of aww de oder member states to have a new member coming from one member state.' 'We have seen dat Spain has been opposing even de recognition of Kosovo, for instance. It’s to some extent a simiwar case because it’s a new country, and so I bewieve it’s going to be extremewy difficuwt, if not impossibwe.'

^"Scottish independence: Spain warning over EU entry". The Scotsman, Edinburgh. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014. 'They have to resowve a mountain of probwems, as Better Togeder has expwained very weww,' he said.'You have to achieve candidate status. You have to negotiate 35 chapters . It has to be ratified by de institutions of de EU. It den has to be ratified by 28 nationaw parwiaments.'

^Crawford, James; Boywe, Awan (10 December 2012). "Annex A - Opinion: Referendumon de Independence of Scotwand – Internationaw Law Aspects"(PDF). p. 67. Retrieved 19 February 2013. Part I: Executive summary ... 6.1 Since de rUK wouwd be de same state as de UK, its EU membership wouwd continue. Indeed, de EU treaties impwicitwy precwude ‘automatic’ widdrawaw by a state. There might have to be an adjustment to de UK’s terms of membership to refwect its reduction in territory and popuwation, but dis couwd be done widout de UK ceasing to be an EU Member State.

^Crawford, James; Boywe, Awan (10 December 2012). "Annex A - Opinion: Referendum on de Independence of Scotwand – Internationaw Law Aspects"(PDF). p. 67. Retrieved 19 February 2013. Part I: Executive summary ...6. Widin de EU, dere is no precedent for what happens when a metropowitan part of a current Member State becomes independent, so it is necessary to specuwate. ... 6.2 On de face of it, if Scotwand had voted for independence it wouwd have been reqwired to accede to de EU as a new state, which wouwd reqwire negotiations on de terms of its membership, incwuding on de subjects of de UK’s current opt-outs. The EU treaties make no provision for succession to membership. Certain provisions of de EU treaties wouwd reqwire amendment. If Scotwand were somehow to become an EU member in its own right automaticawwy, it is not cwear how adjustments to de rewative positions of Member States couwd be wiwwed into being widout negotiations. Nor wouwd it be cwear on what terms it wouwd be a member. 6.3 Some have argued dat de rights conferred on individuaws by EU citizenship might infwuence de European Court of Justice (ECJ) to somehow resist dis outcome. But dis is a matter for specuwation and does not have a cwear precedent in EU waw. It wouwd awso reqwire de issue to somehow come before de ECJ, which may be unwikewy. 7. In any event, Scotwand’s position widin de EU is wikewy to be shaped more by any agreements between de parties dan by pre-existing principwes of EU waw.